Page 121 of Rage of Her Ravens

“This is all Abyssus property.” I threw my arms wide, taunting him with a triumphant glare. “Unlike your sorry manor, our domain extends for miles.”

His eyes narrowed, and I swore I saw dark clouds leaching from his skin like ink spilling into water. “Not for long.”

I let out a low growl, then screamed, dropping from the sky when my back was set on fire. Sol! I thought he’d flown away, but he must’ve snuck up from below. I’d been too focused on Bertram to notice. I hit the ground hard, too hard, my bones cracking and pain shooting up my legs as I let out an agonized roar. I was able to slow time long enough to curl into a ball, wrapping my wings around myself before more flames hit me. But I was too distraught, in too much pain to try to do more. Elements, they were going to kill me! I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to protect my brothers and Shirina.

With a roar, I managed to slow time long enough to stumble to my knees and fight fire with fire while ignoring the searing pain. If I was going down, they were coming with me.

* * *

Shirina

After wiping the tearsfrom my eyes, I finally heaved myself off the floor, dreading having to face my mates. But it had to be done. I was ashamed of my reaction to Nikkos after he only wanted to protect me. I checked my face in the mirror. My eyes were swollen and bloodshot, but there was nothing to be done. I combed my fingers through my hair, doing my best to look somewhat presentable. And then I stood at the bathing room door for far too long, gathering the courage to face Nikkos.

After heaving out a breath, I opened the door.

Nikkos jumped from the bed and flew to me, his wings drooping when he reached me. “Shiri.” He had a stricken look in his eyes as he reached for me and then pulled back. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I grasped his hand, doing my best to push out the words through a constricted throat. “I know you’re only looking out for me. I’m sorry for my reaction.”

“You had every right to react the way you did. I won’t try to persuade you to bond with Drae again. Okay?”

My eyelids fell shut when he tenderly stroked my face. I threw my arms around him, nuzzling his neck. “Hold me.”

I sighed in his embrace as he held me tight, warming me with the fire in his veins.

“Everything okay now?” Blaze called from the balcony.

I looked up at him through hazy eyes and nodded.

He flew toward me, the breeze ruffling his mop of hair. “Good,” he said as he wrapped his wings around Nikkos and me. “I don’t like it when we fight.”

“Neither do I,” I answered as the three of us hugged again.

Then I shuddered in their arms, a sudden burst of nausea nearly overwhelming me as a foreboding feeling threatened to split my chest in two, and I swear I heard Draevyn cry out in my mind.

I pulled back, gaping at my mates. “Something’s wrong.”

Mrs. Euphemia threw open the door and raced into the room. She bent over, clutching her stomach while struggling to catch her breath. “Master Draevyn needs you!”

Aurora and Ember suddenly appeared. Their dresses were torn, and Aurora had leaves and sticks stuck in her hair.

“Auntie!” Ember lunged toward me, tears streaking down her face. “We couldn’t find you!”

Nikkos lifted her into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

Aurora smeared snot across her face with the back of her hand. “The bad men are killing Uncle Drae!”

Blaze’s eyes flashed with fire as he picked her up. “Take us there!”

Nikkos and I latched onto Blaze. One moment we were in my bedchamber and the next, we were in a dark field outside the castle walls. Aurora had done it! She’d transported all of us!

I spun around when I heard a shout. Two scrappy-looking winged fire mages were flying straight for us, their glowing eyes even more pronounced against a dusky sky as flames arced off their hands.

I threw out my hands, my siren voice feeling more powerful than ever as it rang across the field and shook the very air like a burst of thunder. “Stop!”

The mages fell from the sky like birds with clipped wings.

Blaze and Nikkos left the girls with me and flew after the fallen mages. My heart leapt into my throat as I looked around for Draevyn. Where was he? I grasped the girls’ hands and we hurried through the grass. I gasped when we nearly tripped over two bodies that had been hidden in the tall grass. I panicked at first, a scream dying in my throat, when I thought Draevyn was among them. Then my blood turned to ice as I recognized the nurses’ lifeless eyes. No wonder Draevyn’s guard hadn’t found them, but who killed them? The fallen mages?

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